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Council approves zoning changes for temporary event parking, open-space districts and sets hearing on automated car-wash moratorium
Summary
The City Council approved a text amendment allowing temporary parking lots for large venues under strict conditions, adopted new open-space zoning districts, and set a public hearing to consider extending a moratorium on automated car washes.
The Birmingham City Council on May 6 approved multiple zoning text changes that the city says are intended to protect neighborhoods and clarify uses for parks and event parking.
Zoning staff presented two separate text amendments. The first adds conditions to allow temporary parking lots as a special-exception use in several residential and mixed-use zoning districts. City zoning administrator Kim Spruill told the council that the temporary parking lot must be within 1,320 feet of the primary use and be accessory to large venues (an amphitheater with 9,000 seats or more or an arena/stadium with 25,000 seats or more). Spruill read nine conditions to be attached to those approvals, including submission of a parking layout plan, lighting subject to ordinance standards, no overnight camping or parking, city-engineer approval of surfaces, and a one-year maximum approval that must be renewed if continued use is desired.
"The first 1 is that the temporary parking lot must be within 1,320 feet of the lot or parcel containing the primary use..." Kim Spruill said while outlining the conditions.
A developer involved in an adjacent redevelopment project, Brian Wolf of CR Endeavors, spoke in support of the temporary-parking provisions and thanked the zoning staff for the collaborative work.
Separately, the council adopted a text amendment establishing three new "Open Space" zoning districts: Open Space Neighborhood and Greenway District (for local parks), Open Space Regional Park (for large regional parks such as the Birmingham Zoo or Red Mountain Park), and Open Space Natural Areas (for wetlands, river corridors and conservation lands including buyout areas). Zoning staff said the ordinance will not immediately rezone specific properties; instead, staff will map candidate parcels and return to the council with rezoning proposals after stakeholder engagement.
In related business the council also approved a resolution to set a public hearing on extending the moratorium on automated car washes; that hearing will be held at a regular council meeting with notice published at least 14 days before the hearing.
All measures passed on voice votes. The text amendments come after review by the Zoning Advisory Committee and the Planning and Zoning Committee, which recommended approval.
Provenance: the zoning text changes and the temporary-parking discussion are recorded in the transcript at the times listed in the provenance section below.
